Lily, germander, and sops-in-wine

[wolfinthewood]

Robin Goodfellow's Song

And can the physician make sick men well?
And can the magician a fortune divine?
Without lily, germander, and sops-in-wine?
With sweet-briar,
And bonfire,
And strawberry wire,
And columbine.

Within and out, in and out round as a ball,
With hither and thither, as straight as a line,
With lily, germander, and sops-in-wine:
With sweet-briar,
And bonfire,
And strawberry wire,
And columbine.

When Saturn did live, there lived no poor,
The king and the beggar with roots did dine,
With lily, germander, and sops-in-wine:
With sweet-briar,
And bonfire,
And strawberry wire,
And columbine.

Anon.

from Robin Goodfellow, his mad pranks and merry jests (1628)


‘Sops-in-wine’ is an old name for the clove pink. But even Geoffrey Grigson, who knew more about English traditional plant names than anyone, never seems to have identified ‘bonfire’.


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Comments

[artnouveauho.livejournal.com]

What a strange, compelling little song. Wonder if there's a tune for it knocking about someplace.

I was struck by your previous post, too-- a more pastoral version of the disruptions that usually accompany the strife of Shakespearean kings. And, as you say, sadly relevant.

[wolfinthewood.livejournal.com]

I don't think there is a contemporary tune, though it so obviously cries out to be sung. There is a setting by Peter Warlock, though I don't remember ever hearing it. There's probably an old recording of that. I'll investigate. (My partner deals in classical LPs, so there might even be a recording on her shelves somewhere.)

'And shall the physician' was used as a motif in the classic fantasy novel Lud-in-the-mist, by Hope Mirrlees - if you don't know it, I think you might like it. There's a paperback reprint of that available at the moment in the 'Fantasy Masterworks' series.

a more pastoral version of the disruptions that usually accompany the strife of Shakespearean kings

Interesting point. I hadn't thought of that.

[artnouveauho.livejournal.com]

Peter Warlock is no slouch when it comes to things like this-- his setting's sure to be haunting and beautiful.

I don't know Lud-in-the-Mist, but I'll seek it out on my next trip to Forbidden Planet. (They have most of the Fantasy Masterworks series, I think.)